Alphabet Soup
by just slummin
Summary: MalRiver.  This is a collection of short scenes in the family life of Master Adam Reynolds, who was born in fic entitled Holding Pattern.  Warning:  Wall to wall fluff ahead.  Enter at your own risk.  NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Alphabet Soup**

**Part I---A through C**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: This is a collection of short scenes in the family life of Master Adam Reynolds of Serenity. Warning: Wall-to-wall fluff ahead. Enter at your own risk.

**A—Adam and Anya**

Anya sat on the catwalk, swinging her legs dejectedly.

Bending to sit beside her, Kaylee asked, "What's the matter, sweetie?"

"Adam," Anya answered.

"What about Adam?" Now Kaylee was truly curious.

Anya sighed and gave Kaylee a long-suffering look. "Captain Mal said Adam was gonna be my playmate, but he just lies around all day. He can't even walk or talk, and he drools too." She made a disgusted face. "How are we ever gonna play?"

"Well, he'll be able to walk and talk sooner than you think," Kaylee answered. "And there's ways to play with him now. Want me to show you?"

Anya nodded enthusiastically, and she and Kaylee found River, who gratefully relinquished the baby for a little while. When it was time for Adam's feeding, River peeked around the corner to discover a giggling Anya, her face buried in the little boy's belly, blowing perfect little raspberries just like Miss Kaylee had just taught her, and Adam, answering with kicking legs and waving arms, blowing bubbles of his own.

**B—Breast or Bottle**

Mal never tired of watching River nurse their child. But as the weeks wore on, he began to suspect he might be missing something very important. While he loved to see the bond between his wife and baby, he was embarrassed to discover that another less pleasant emotion was beginning to rear its ugly head.

"Jealous," River said one night, as she sat rocking the nursing baby.

Mal shifted on the bed, uncomfortable to have the thought stated aloud. "No, I'm not," he answered defensively.

River rolled her eyes, reminding him wordlessly that it was useless to lie to a Reader.

"Well, maybehaps a little," he acknowledged sheepishly. "He's just so beautiful lookin' up at you, and so…"

"Connected," River supplied.

Mal nodded.

"Would you like to feed him?" River asked.

Vaguely startled by the question, Mal answered, "Well, I ain't exactly got the right equipment for the job."

"Can fix that," River said. "Bought a breast pump dirtside. Took a class over the cortex to figure out how to use it."

"A what?" Mal's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion.

"A device by which I can pump breastmilk into a bottle so you can feed your son sometimes too," River explained patiently.

Mal looked at her skeptically, trying to wrap his head around the concept. "Sounds a mite painful for you."

"Not really, now that I've gotten the hang of it, and it would provide an optimum environment for parental bonding," she answered, as Adam released his little pink lips from her nipple with a satisfied smack.

Mal reached over for Adam, leaning him gently over his shoulder and patting his back rhythmically. Letting out a loud burp, Adam gurgled happily and snuggled into a ball into his father's arms.

Mal looked from his son to River, knowing he was grinning like a gorram fool. "Well then, if it's all the same to you, I think I'd like to give it a try."

River answered him with a matching grin. "Then you can take the night feedings, ai ren," she said, her smile a little on the mischievous side.

**C—Candlelight and Curses**

Mal had found, by trial and error, that Adam accepted a bottle best if he was still allowed maximum skin to skin contact. So, he sat in the rocker, his son curled into his bare chest contentedly drinking his last bottle before sleep.

River stood by the sink bathing herself with a languid grace in the flickering candlelight. Mal watched her sensuous movements, and was amazed that after just six weeks, she had regained her lithe dancer's form. Except for the enticing fullness of her breasts and a slight softening of the curves of her belly and hips, he could scarcely believe that scant weeks before, she had been awkward and heavy with child.

He watched the water from her sponge run down the smooth expanse of her back and thighs, and a low groan rumbled up from deep in his chest. If she heard, she gave no indication as she raised her arms to secure her hair away from the nape of her neck, affording him a view of the velvet skin on the side of one breast.

Mal glanced down at his son and realized that Adam had fallen asleep whilst he'd been distracted by all manner of erotic thoughts about his wife. Rising slowly from the rocker so as not to wake him, Mal placed the child gingerly in his crib.

When he turned back around, he was disappointed to see that River had slipped into a robe, denying him the sight of her beautiful body. But when he looked into her eyes, he saw a smoldering fire there that made a delicious tension curl in his belly.

"Saw Simon today," she said softly, drawing close enough that he could feel her warmth against his bare chest.

"That so?" he murmured against her hair, consumed now by the fiery need burning a hole through him.

She raised her luminous brown eyes to his, reflecting the flicker of the candlelight. "Got a clean bill of health."

Lost in the haze of his desire, Mal did not process her words immediately. Then, comprehension dawned. "You mean we can...?" he began hopefully.

"Yes, ai ren, we can," she said, slipping her robe off her shoulders with a small shake.

Mal stood frozen, his flashing eyes absorbing every inch of her glowing skin. She kissed him, her mouth as hungry as his own. Moving quickly to the bed, she began to tug at his pants, eager after weeks of abstinence to feel the hard length of him inside her again.

Suddenly, Adam cried out, startled from sleep. Mal and River held their breath, each praying that the infant would settle back into slumber on his own. His wails became louder, outraged to be ignored in such a fashion. Muttering darkly, Mal retrieved his clothes and River pulled her robe reluctantly back around her shoulders.

"Sorry, ai ren ," she said, as she picked up a very angry Adam from the crib.

"'S'alright," Mal answered aloud, though River heard a long string of curses in his mind that made her blush with their inventive nature.

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**Coming Soon—D through F **

Author's Note: For those who read all my angsty work, I know this is a departure for me. I will be back to my regularly scheduled angst in a bit, but wanted to take this little side trip. I'd love to hear how you feel about this one, as it is an experiment of sorts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alphabet Soup**

**Part II—D through F**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: This is a collection of short scenes in the family life of Master Adam Reynolds of Serenity. Warning: Wall-to-wall fluff ahead. Enter at your own risk.

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**D—Diaper Duty**

"We won't be gone long, ai ren," River said, standing on the tips of her toes to kiss Mal's cheek and the soft thatch of sandy hair on top of Adam's head.

"Wish I could go with you," Mal whispered. "You might recollect I'm partial to sharing a tub with you."

River smiled, a slight flush spreading across her face and chest at the memory of the last real bath they had shared together. "I remember," she said, her eyes promising that such a pleasure would be repeated some day. "But it's a ladies-only bath house, and I'm afraid you might stand out a bit."

She turned to join Kaylee and Inara at the ramp. "I could always wear my cotton dress and pretty floral bonnet," Mal called out to her retreating form.

"Maybe later," came the reply as the three women made their way to the local bath house.

"Well, little fella, guess you're stuck with me for awhile," Mal said, re-adjusting Adam's position against his shoulder. He figured everything was well under control, as their latest job had gone smoothly, Zoe had restocked supplies for a decent price, River had left two bottles of expressed milk for Adam, and the baby himself seemed to be in a fine humor.

But twenty minutes later, Mal found himself in a dilemma. Adam looked decidedly less cheerful. Smelling the source of the problem, Mal went down into his bunk to retrieve one of the diapers River kept neatly stacked by the crib. Moving into the common area, he laid Adam down on the couch there. Figuring it couldn't be that hard to change a diaper, Mal at first was not concerned. He quickly unpinned the soiled diaper and cleaned Adam thoroughly. Ain't as easy as it looks, he thought, as Adam began pumping his plump little legs and spreading the offending material all over the couch.

But finally, Mal managed to clean the baby and everything else within arm's reach. Now, to put on the new one, he thought. Easy peasy. He unfolded the soft cloth and discovered it was nothing but a square. He eyed it thoughtfully, trying to picture how a square could be put onto Adam's bottom in the same shape as the one he'd taken off so hastily. Thinking that maybehaps he should have studied that first one a mite better, he was relieved to see Zoe passing through the common area. Suddenly pleased beyond reason that his first mate had decided to forego the temptation of the bath house in favor of staying with Anya, Mal called her over.

Explaining the problem, he looked up at her hopefully. She raised one eyebrow and asked, "And how exactly would I have come by this knowledge of diaper-changing techniques you seem to expect me to have, sir?"

Mal gazed at her solemnly. "Well, you know, bein' a woman-type person and all…"

"I don't believe that diaper-changing know-how is genetically encoded, sir," she said dryly. "But I think you'd best be figurin' it out quick-like, if you don't want to have to scrub the couch again." And letting Adam grasp her finger and pull for a minute, she smiled at the baby. "Isn't that right, little one?" she cooed. Adam grinned toothlessly in reply.

Mal watched Zoe, practically whistling a happy tune, go. Turning back to the task at hand, he began to try several different methods of folding, each one less effective than the last. The task was made no simpler by Adam's enthusiastic kicks and wiggles. Feeling a blue streak of cursing coming on, Mal sat back on his haunches and tried to breathe deeply.

"What ya' doin' lettin' the little squirt lay on the couch all bare-assed, Mal?" Jayne said, coming into the lounge to retrieve a deck of cards. "Don't you know he's like as not to piss on it?"

"Thought had crossed my mind, Jayne," Mal said wearily.

Something in his tone made Jayne survey the situation more closely. Grinning widely, he said, "Aw hell, Mal, you ain't got the slightest notion how to put that diaper on, have you?"

Mal's patience was at a low ebb. "I suppose you do?" he asked sarcastically.

Jayne was on his knees beside the couch immediately, his hands working just as surely as they did when he cleaned Vera. Faster than Mal could even begin to follow, Jayne held Adam up, securely covered by the neatly folded diaper. Mal sat, open-mouthed.

"Want I should show you again?" Jayne asked.

**E—Energetic Enough**

"How was the baby today?" River asked, floating gracefully around their bunk in the new dress Inara and Kaylee had persuaded her to buy on their excursion into town.

"Very energetic," Mal replied wearily, pleased to see her looking so well-rested and relaxed.

"Must be why he's sleeping so soundly now," River mused, looking into the crib just to check again. She turned and walked the short distance to Mal. Wrapping her arms around his midsection, she asked, "Do you like the dress?"

Mal breathed in the clean, sweet scent of her. "I like it very much," he said, running his hands lightly down the dip of her spine over the thin material.

She shivered at the contact. They'd had very little time since Adam's birth to be together alone, and Adam seemed to have an uncanny knack for ruining their more intimate endeavors. And though she had harbored big plans for the evening, River could feel how truly tired her husband was, without even using her unique abilities.

Mal, however, was beginning to revive somewhat with River's curves pressed so enticingly against his body. "Think I'd like it better if it was off your back and on the floor just now, though," he murmured against her neck, as his lips brushed the spot just under her jaw that he knew did all manner of pleasing things to his wife. Feeling her pulse quicken under his lips, he smiled lazily as he found the fastenings of the dress and unwrapped River like the gift she was.

Praying to every deity she knew that just for this night, Adam would sleep through a standard sleep cycle, River began to plant soft kisses along Mal's jaw line as well. When she heard his soft sigh, she whispered, "Sure you've got enough energy for this, ai ren?"

Pulling her more closely against him so that she could feel just how energetic he had become, he answered, "Think maybehaps I do." And as he kissed her breathless, she had to agree.

**F—Feeding Frenzy**

Mal stood in the marketplace, scowling threateningly at the vendor while River did the actual bartering. Though she did as well as could reasonably be expected, Mal's pockets were uncomfortably light as they made their way back to the ship with the crate of fresh fruits and vegetables.

It had long been Mal's habit to purchase fresh foodstuffs as he could afford them for the crew, knowing that satisfied bellies led to happier and more productive work. But admittedly, it was a luxury he could ill afford.

However, Simon had recently pulled him aside to discuss the nutritional needs of Serenity's two smallest inhabitants. While River's milk had been sufficient until now, Simon explained that as Adam continued to grow, he needed solid food of good quality to supplement his diet. And Anya, who was also growing by leaps and bounds, had a similar need. So, Mal found himself scraping for extra coin to accommodate those needs.

Putting the foodstuffs in storage, he wondered how Adam would even eat the food, being as how his teeth were just two little nubs under his gums at this point.

Anya had no such problems. Blue eyes shining with delight, she had already availed herself of two apples and a half of a banana, munching happily as she ran around the ship. Seeing her obvious joy, Mal felt a stab of regret that she'd ever had to do without.

He turned his attention back to his wife and son. River had taken the other half of Anya's banana and mashed it into a truly disgusting lump of pulp. Using the tiny silver spoon that had been part of Inara's gift to Adam at birth, she held the mush up to his pursed little lips.

The baby's blue eyes, so like his father's, gazed at her with suspicion, and he clamped his lips tightly together. River wiggled the spoon a little. "Open up, baby mine," she said calmly, smiling encouragingly. Adam turned his head abruptly away, spreading a thin line of banana goo across his cheek in the process. River scraped it gently back onto the spoon, not willing to waste even a little of the precious fruit.

Mal leaned, arms crossed and hip against the counter, watching the battle of wills as River persisted and Adam steadfastly refused to comply. He could see River's frustration mounting by the tense line of her shoulders, but he was reluctant to intervene for two reasons. First, he was mildly interested to see which of them would prove to be the most stubborn, as they both seemed to have a healthy dose of that quality. And second, he was not at all certain his intervention would change the outcome one little bit.

Finally, practically vibrating with irritation, River handed Mal the spoon. "You do it."

Mal sat down, eyeing his opponent for weakness. Adam gazed at him expectantly, very aware of the spoon in Daddy's hand. Setting the spoon down, Mal grinned suddenly and made a silly face. Adam laughed, his little mouth falling open involuntarily. With quick-draw reflexes, Mal scooped up a lump of goo with an index finger and deposited it squarely on Adam's tongue.

Adam's mouth snapped shut in surprise, and Mal waited for the inevitable rejection to occur. But, Adam rolled the mush around in his mouth, fascinated by the taste and texture, and with a large smack of his lips, swallowed it down and opened his mouth for more.

"That's cheating," River accused.

Mal grinned and put another spoonful of banana into the baby's mouth. "Any port in a storm, darlin'. Any port in a storm."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Alphabet Soup**

**Part III—G through I**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: This is a collection of short scenes in the family life of Master Adam Reynolds of Serenity. Okay, a tiny bit of angst makes its way into the fluff of this part, but not too much! (I think.)

**G—Games and Gates**

Much to the consternation of Serenity's adults, Adam Reynolds began to crawl at the age of six months. Only Simon expressed no surprise, remembering clearly the same reaction on the part of his own parents when River began to crawl by a similar age.

Serenity was ill-equipped for a crawling baby, filled as it was with dizzying drops from stairwells and an infinite number of places a baby could crawl into and never be found again. With the exception of Anya, who seemed delighted that her playmate was finally mobile, everyone on the crew had frightening visions of Adam's imminent demise, and took to watching the child with eagle eyes.

So, it was surprising when, despite everyone's diligence, Adam disappeared one morning somewhere in the cargo bay. Shoving crates aside frantically, Mal tried to breathe normally though cold bands of fear tightened around his chest. River fared no better, for though she was connected to the child, she was panicked enough that she could not focus through everyone's anxiety clearly enough to ascertain where he was.

Anya was unsure as to why everyone seemed so out of sorts. Getting Zoe's attention, she asked, "Why's everybody so upset? Adam's just playin' hide-and-seek, prolly."

"He's too little to play hide-and-seek, Anya. And he could get hurt crawling around down here," Zoe explained.

Anya thought on that concept for a moment. "I'm good at hide-and-seek. I'll go find him, Mama."

True to her word, Anya did indeed find Adam, dust-covered and thoroughly enjoying himself in one of the secret compartments in the cargo bay. Simon snatched him up instantly for an assessment, thereby dampening Adam's good humor considerably.

"How'd you know where to look for him, blondie?" Mal asked, once Simon had pronounced Adam to be spectacularly healthy.

Anya rolled her eyes. "Easy peasy, Captain Mal. This is the best hiding place on Serenity."

Jayne grunted. "Like as not, we're gonna lose him in one of them smuggler holes, less'n we figure somethin' pretty gorram quick."

Mal couldn't help but agree, considering his heart was still racing painfully from the stress of losing Adam in the first place. "Any suggestions?"

"Gates," Inara said softly. At Mal's puzzled look, she explained. "Baby gates, large enough to keep Adam in a certain place while allowing the adults freedom to move about." She frowned for a moment. "Although the ones I've seen would not work on Serenity since they are configured for a standard door in a home."

"Think maybe I could rig somethin' up," Kaylee offered. "If'n I could get Jayne's help with the framing, that is."

Jayne nodded in agreement, willing to do anything to prevent having ever again to spend his morning being scared spitless by the actions of a six month old.

**H—Hidden Hopes**

Kaylee swung lazily in her hammock, Adam lying sprawled over her chest, boneless in sleep. She nuzzled her nose into his soft, downy hair and inhaled the pure, sweet scent of baby.

With the Captain, River, Zoe, and Jayne all off the ship on a particularly difficult job, and Inara entertaining a client, she and Simon had been left to play parents to Anya and Adam for the afternoon. As Simon was currently engaged in a fierce game of Chinese Checkers with Anya, Kaylee had taken the opportunity to steal a few quiet moments with the baby.

Kaylee loved babies, as full of innocence and promise as one could be in the 'verse, and she often pretended, for just a few minutes, that Adam was her baby. As babies went, she found him to be absolutely the kind of baby she wanted to have on day, seemingly blessed by intelligence from those genius Tam genes, and yet somehow so very much like the best parts of his other parent as well.

She closed her eyes, the weight of the baby pleasant against her chest, and dreamed about the babies she and Simon would make one day. Though she knew Simon would never consent to more than just a couple, she wouldn't mind having a regular passel of little ones scurrying about Serenity. Then again, she thought, she weren't exactly sure what the Captain would have to say about that idea, seeing as how she and Simon weren't the only ones currently sexin' on Serenity.

Still, she expected that there would one day be more little Reynolds babies running about, and she very much wanted them to have little Tam cousins for company. She sighed at the thought, ruffling Adam's fine hair and startling him awake.

He looked around with his wide blue eyes, face beginning to wrinkle with a cry until he focused on Kaylee's green eyes, crinkling around the corners with a wide smile. Reassured as to where he was, Adam began to babble happily, saying nothing even resembling any words Kaylee had ever heard. But despite that fact, she looked at him for all the 'verse as if she understood exactly what he was trying to say. Then, pulling him up further, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, and received a sloppy glob of saliva in return. Chuckling, she dried off the spittle, and whispered in his ear, "Would you like some little cousins to play with, sweetie?"

Adam gurgled happily as his arms and legs began pumping with the sheer joy of movement. Slipping out of the hammock, Kaylee put him on her hip and headed to find her husband. Maybe I should let him play a little more with the baby, she thought. Might be just the thing.

**I—Injections and Itches**

Adam lay on the exam table, fretting in the bright light and cold air of the infirmary. Mal and River stood anxiously beside the table, watching Simon's examination in worried silence.

Simon listened carefully to the baby's lungs, discerning a slight rattle there. "Well," he said, "there's no doubt he's got a virus of some sort. I'll need to draw some blood for analysis." Glancing up at River's pale face, he suggested, "Mei mei, why don't you just have a seat outside while I do this?"

"Not leaving him," she said firmly. "He'll be frightened."

"All right," Simon agreed, knowing it was useless to argue the point. "You stand over there," he said, pointing to the other side of the table, "and Mal, I'll need you to stay where you are and hold his arm steady so that I can get the samples I need."

Mal nodded, and running the back of his fingers gently across Adam's cheek, straightened out the tiny arm and held it immobile. Adam resisted, not liking even slightly being restrained in such a manner. As Mal felt the tiny muscles struggle against his grip, his mouth went dry, but he held the arm steady. When Simon inserted the needle and Adam started to scream and cry, Mal blinked back tears of his own. And though he had seen sights in his life to turn a man to stone, when he saw his son's red blood flowing into the vials, he came embarrassingly close to fainting for a moment.

Mercifully, Simon was finished quickly, and Mal reached to pick Adam up to comfort him. But the baby reached out for River instead, not quite forgiving his father for his part in the recent unpleasantness. Mal knew the rejection was only temporary, but still, it cut him to the quick.

"You'll have to put him back down, River. I need to get some measurements while you're here," Simon said.

"What all kind of measurements?" Mal asked, ready to object if it involved any more pain to the baby.

"Just standard stuff…height, weight, head circumference…" Simon said vaguely.

"Do it quickly, Simon," River said, her voice tight. "He doesn't like it."

"So I gathered from the ear-piercing screams," Simon said, as he quickly accomplished the job, and jotted down his findings on Adam's chart.

River picked Adam up, cradling him gently to her breast, allowing her heartbeat and scent to soothe her son.

"I should have the results of the bloodwork in about an hour," Simon said. "I'll let you know when I have something definite."

For the next hour, Mal paced the ship, tension hanging around him like a dense fog. Climbing down into their bunk with the intent of arriving before Simon, he saw River staring into the crib, open-mouthed. He ran to stand beside her and looked into the crib for himself. Adam sat, naked but for his diaper, covered from head-to-toe in tiny red bumps.

"What the di yu is that?" Mal asked. "They weren't there an hour ago."

River said, "Don't know. Need Simon."

When Mal found Simon, the doctor was already on his way to their bunk with the blood results. "As best as I can tell, Adam just has a little cold," Simon said.

"Then what do you call this?" Mal said, stepping back to give Simon a clear view of the rash.

"I'd say it is an allergic reaction to latex," Simon answered, quickly injecting another drug into his nephew's thigh.

"You mean your gloves made him sick?" Mal asked darkly.

"Well, no," Simon said. "He had the cold already. But essentially, I gave him the rash to go along with it."

"Then fix it," River said, her dark eyes glittering dangerously.

"I already have, with the injection. He'll be fine, as long as we remember not to let him be exposed to latex," Simon assured Adam's worried parents. "The rash should be gone by morning." Looking kindly at Mal and River, he added, "You two, on the other hand, just shaved about two years off your lifespan from stress. But, as I understand it, that comes with the territory." He patted River gently on the arm and kissed the top of Adam's head.

Mal and River breathed a sigh of relief and watched Simon's legs ascend the ladder. Finally, hearing the clang of the hatch door closing, they embraced each other, both weak-kneed with the scare they had just endured.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Alphabet Soup**

**Part IV—J through L**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: This is a collection of short scenes in the family life of Master Adam Reynolds of Serenity. Warning: Wall-to-wall fluff ahead. Enter at your own risk.

**J—Joyful Journey**

Malcolm Reynolds undeniably loved the freedom of the Black. And if anyone had bothered to ask, he would have said that he had not plans to ever live dirtside again, as least as long as there were governments like the Alliance, or even piss-ant local government hundans to interfere with a man's freedom and family.

But when he looked at Adam, crawling around energetically and testing the limits of his newfound freedom, he couldn't help but remember the days of his own youth on Shadow. The feel of sunlight on his skin, a soft breeze fragrant with the flowers that grew abundantly on the ranch. The coarse sand between his toes by the bank, just before he'd take a dip in the cool peace of the river that ran through his mama's land. And he wanted his son to feel those sensations for himself.

To that end, he began to choose jobs that might take them to places where the children could play off-ship for awhile. This was a mite tricky, he thought, as their jobs were rarely what he'd call family-friendly. But on this day, he had managed to pull it off, and his crew was enjoying a real picnic by a real river under a real shade tree.

Anya, having scarfed down her protein bars and an apple as quickly as humanly possible, was wading out into the water to the sound of Zoe's constant reminders not to go too far. Jayne and Inara, still very private in their affections, had wandered off along the shoreline out of sight, most likely to do some things they could scarcely do in front of children. Simon and Kaylee were swimming a short distance away, in the deeper water of the river.

River sat between Mal's legs as he leaned against the old tree, her back resting comfortably against his chest as they watched Adam. He sat in the shallow water, naked as he came into the 'verse, and splashing delightedly, little crows of laughter escaping in the warm air.

"This was a good idea, ai ren," River said lazily. "Everyone's having such a good time."

"Uhm huhm." Mal said, smiling at the antics of his son, who was now busily scooping handfuls of wet sand onto everything within his reach, including his mother's toes.

River wiggled her sandy toes, sending Adam into peals of laughter.

"We made us a beautiful child, didn't we, darlin'?" Mal whispered in her ear.

"Yes, we did, ai ren," she agreed, her heart filled with the joy radiating from her entire family.

**K—Killdeers and Kisses**

Zoe was taking a rare late afternoon nap under the shade of the old tree where the crew had enjoyed their picnic earlier, and Simon and Kaylee were drying in the sun from their swim just a little farther down the riverbank.

No one had seen Jayne or Inara since lunch, but Mal was not overly inclined to look for them, as he had a fair idea as to how they might be occupied. So, he sat with Anya on one side and Adam on the other, the latter sprawled out on a soft blanket under another of the huge trees lining the river. He watched River floating effortlessly on the water, taking occasional lazy strokes to propel herself one way or the other. He thought that she looked like a mermaid or a water nymph moving gracefully about. Maybehaps that would account for the spell she had so thoroughly cast over him, he mused, the idea bringing a slight smile to his face.

"Captain Mal," Anya said excitedly, leaning more closely against his side. "What's that?"

Mal's eyes followed the direction of her pointed finger, and saw a little bird running through the grass a few yards away. "It's a killdeer, Anya," he answered. "A little bird that likes to make its nest on the ground close to the water."

"Why does it do that?" she asked.

"Just the way it's made, I suppose. Birds live by something called instinct, and their habits are already set when they hatch."

They sat for a moment, watching how the funny little bird ran through the grass on legs that looked impossibly long for its body. "Where's its nest?" Anya asked after a bit.

"Somewhere close by, I'll wager, because killdeers never stray far away from their homes."

"Why?"

"Because if there are little ones in the nest, they have no protection on their own, and the adult killdeers stick around to guard the nest."

"Like everybody on our ship looks after me and Adam."

"Yes," Mal agreed. At the sound of his name, Adam stirred, but settled quickly back into his nap.

As the killdeer disappeared in the taller grass, Anya said, "My daddy watched the birds lots of times. He knew all sorts of stuff 'bout 'em, just like you."

"That so?" Mal said, interested to hear what else Anya might reveal, as the child rarely spoke of her parents.

Not content to simply sit beside him anymore, Anya climbed up into his lap and looked up at him with her piercing blue eyes. "You remind me of my daddy, Captain Mal. I ain't exactly sure why, on account of you don't look nothing at all like him, but you maybe act like him a little. I think he'da' liked you, and you'da' liked him too, I bet."

"I'm sure I would have," Mal said gently. "'Cause even though I never met him, I know there's one thing we have in common."

"What?"

Mal kissed the top of her head. "We both love a little blue-eyed blonde girl name of Anya."

Anya smiled, revealing the newest gap in her teeth, and wrapping her arms around his neck, gave him a sloppy kiss. "Love you too, Captain Mal," she whispered happily.

**L—Laugh Lines**

Everyone was back on the ship, relaxed and slightly sunburned. Mal sat at his desk, looking at the captures Kaylee had taken to commemorate the day. One capture particularly caught his attention.

He and River were standing by the shoreline in the bright sun with Adam resting securely on Mal's hip. Thinking how very beautiful his wife and child looked, he studied his own image a little more critically.

River sat watching the play of emotions on her husband's face, tempted to read him to discover their meaning. Opting for the more socially acceptable course, she asked softly, "What are you thinking about, ai ren?"

Mal turned his face away from the capture and gave her a quizzical smile. "You mean you haven't read me yet to find out?"

"I do have some self-control, you know," River said, smiling wickedly.

"Good to know," Mal replied with a smile of his own. "To answer your question, I was thinking that I have a lovely young wife and a handsome son."

"And…" River prompted, knowing there was something more.

Mal reached over and handed her the capture. "Take a good look," he said. "Notice anything about the man in the capture?"

River smiled. "You mean other than how very swai he is?"

"Look again," he said. "You see all those wrinkles shining big as life in the sunlight?"

"Malcolm Reynolds, you don't mean to tell me you're concerned about a few little lines?"

Mal blushed slightly. "Well, they do stand out. "Specially when I'm holdin' a child not a year old, and married to a woman looks fresh as a daisy."

River stood and came to his side, resting her hands lightly on his face. "I love your lines," she said softly. "They tell your story, and these right here…" She ghosted her fingertips around the corners of his mouth. "I love these most of all."

"That a fact?" Mal said, leaning into her touch. "And why is that?"

"Because they're laugh lines," she said, placing slow, feather-light kisses along the path her fingertips had traveled.

XXXXXXXXXX

Remember, feedback is SHINY!


	5. Chapter 5

**Alphabet Soup**

**Part V—M through O**

Summary: This is a collection of short scenes in the family life of Master Adam Reynolds of Serenity. Warning: Wall-to-wall fluff ahead. Enter at your own risk.

**M—Mommy Moment**

River sat on the bridge, using her night watch duty as a time to decompress after a particularly active day for Adam. She had almost succeeded in clearing her mind of the discordant thoughts of the day when Mal burst onto the bridge, shirt hanging open, sleep pants riding low over his hips, and hair jutting out at odd angles. Even if there had not been a whining baby in his arms, River could have guessed that something had gone amiss.

When Adam saw her, he immediately began to wriggle around in his father's grasp and reach his arms out to River. Profoundly relieved, Mal handed him over.

"What happened?" River asked, giving Adam little gentle pats as she rocked slightly.

"Wouldn't take his gorram bottle, fussed all the way through his bath, and generally made my life a living hell for the past two hours," Mal grumbled. "And now, he won't go to sleep. Every time I put him down, he starts with the whining."

"Teething, you know," River said in Adam's defense.

"I've had my gorram fingers gnawed on enough in the past two weeks to figure that out," Mal snapped.

Having had the luxury of relative quiet for the past two hours, River had a reservoir of patience that her ai ren had apparently lost. "All right, Mal," she soothed. "I'll keep him with me for a bit. You go on to sleep."

"Can't keep decent watch if you have a fussy baby up here," Mal said, a little embarrassed to have lost his temper.

"Trust me, we'll be fine," River said. "Won't we, Adam?"

Adam looked at her, grinning widely to show his new teeth. Mal could scarcely believe that this angelic child was the same one he'd spent the last two hours trying to calm. "Fine," he said, too tired of the situation to put up much more of an argument. Pressing a kiss to River's forehead and another to Adam's, he left the bridge to get some sleep and hopefully, he thought, some perspective. Who knew that an eight-month-old could damage a grown man's calm so completely, he mused wearily.

River looked at Adam, who sat contentedly in her lap. "You mustn't do that to Daddy," she said.

Adam grinned as if he knew exactly what she was saying. River laughed, and kissed his cheek. "You're a little brat, you know," she said.

Adam reached his tiny hand up to touch her face. "Mama," he said, as clearly as if he had said it a million times before.

River's heart almost burst with the sound of his first word. "That's right," she praised, hugging him close. "I am 'Mama'."

**N—Naptime and Nawa**

Once Adam Reynolds decided to talk, he talked all the time. His favorite things to say were 'Mama' and 'Dada', as this evoked the desired result in both parents. Mal was particularly fond of it, and Adam loved to see his father grin.

Fairly quickly, he learned how to make the rest of the crew grin as well, and everyone began to eagerly supply him with new words, though Mal did draw the line at some of Jayne's more colorful choices. However, being as how he was only nine months old, some of his words were less than distinct, and the crew often had to listen carefully to ascertain his meaning.

When Mal and River were not around to interpret, Anya was the one who understood Adam best. So it was that one day when Mal and River were off-ship, Kaylee called Anya into the common area where she and Adam were having a discussion about naptime.

Every time Kaylee put him down on the couch, Adam said, "No, no, no. Nawa." He looked at her expectantly.

"What's he saying, sweetie?" Kaylee asked Anya.

Anya looked intently at the little boy. "What do you want, Adam?"

"Nawa," he said more loudly, beginning to get frustrated.

"Inara?" Anya asked.

"Nawa," Adam confirmed.

"Well sweetie, I ain't so sure Inara can come and see you right now," Kaylee began.

Adam's face scrunched up to cry. "Nawa," he demanded.

"I could go ask Miss Inara, if'n you want me to," Anya suggested to Kaylee.

"Ask me what, sweetie?" Inara said, providentially walking through the common area.

"Nawa!" Adam exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the couch.

"Well, hello there, little man. How are you today?" Inara said sweetly, holding out a hand to the excited baby.

He reached both arms up, eager to be held. "Kaylee, do you mind?" Inara asked.

"'S'okay by me. But River gave me strict orders to make him take a nap," Kaylee answered uncertainly.

"No, no, no," Adam said. "Nawa."

Inara picked him up, balancing him elegantly on one hip. "Adam, Mama wants you to take a nap now. Want to take one with me?"

Adam clapped his hands. "Nawa."

Two hours later, Mal walked into Inara's shuttle to find a sight he would truly have never imagined. Adam lay sprawled across Inara's red satin sheets, sound asleep, while Inara lay asleep, hair mussed and dress askew, one arm resting lightly around the baby.

**O—Oranges and Oatmeal**

Mal sat at the table looking at Adam, who sat in the newly acquired high chair. Wondering how it could be that his son was now ten months old, he marveled at how quickly time seemed to be passing. Anya was almost seven, he thought, and Adam would be a year old before Mal could catch his breath, it seemed. He frowned at the thought.

Adam, who had taken to imitating his father as closely as possible, frowned as well. Seeing his image reflected so accurately, Mal arranged his face into a smile. Spooning oatmeal into Adam's bowl, Mal handed him the spoon, figuring now was as good as time as any to see if Adam had inherited good eye-hand coordination from either parent.

After several aborted attempts at spooning the mush into his own mouth, Adam decided the more fun course was to use the spoon as a catapult. At least it seemed fun until Daddy's eyebrows scrunched up in a frown, and he took the spoon and bowl away.

Mal, though secretly amused by Adam's inventive spoon use, frowned to discourage such rude behavior at the table. After he removed the bowl and spoon, he tried a different tack. Putting several orange slices in the high chair tray, he watched as Adam maneuvered them into his mouth. Smacking loudly, Adam smiled at the sweet flavor of the fresh fruit, and reached greedily for more from his father's plate. Mal raised an eyebrow, waiting for the word to come.

"Pease, dada," Adam obliged, his eyes growing wide as Mal plopped the last orange slice onto the tray.

"I'll tell you a secret, little one," Mal whispered, leaning in close to Adam's ear.

Adam looked up quizzically, his cheeks full of orange bits.

"'Please' will get your Daddy every time," Mal said, ruffling his son's hair tenderly.

Adam smiled, filing that thought for future reference in his clever little mind.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Alphabet Soup**

**Part VI—P through R**

Summary: This is a collection of short scenes in the family life of Master Adam Reynolds of Serenity. Warning: Wall-to-wall fluff ahead. Enter at your own risk.

**P—Proud Papa**

Monty swung Mal up into a bear hug, literally sweeping the man off his feet. "Malcolm Reynolds," he said loudly enough to alert people half a mile away. "Didn't know I'd be seein' your sorry hide anywhere near here. S'pose you're on the job."

Mal smiled, as always happy to see his old friend. "Nope, not a job this go-round. Just needed to pick up a few sundries on the way to the next stop."

"Got time for a drink?" Monty asked, indicating a tavern a few doors down from the corner on which they stood.

"Tell you what," Mal said. "Come on back to Serenity with me and we'll scare up a bottle there. There's someone on board I'd like you to meet."

Monty quickly agreed, and the men walked back to Serenity, catching up on all the latest news of their mutual friends. Once aboard, Mal ushered Monty into the galley and rummaged around for a decent bottle of whiskey.

"Who's this you want me to meet? Ain't perchance a woman, is it?" Monty asked, almost hopefully.

"Well, I got a new blue-eyed blonde on the crew, but I think she's a mite young for ya', being as how she's seven and all," Mal replied. "'Sides, thought you'd sworn off the fairer sex after the thing with Bridgette."

"Well, now, that didn't turn out so good, but the woman did have her moments," Monty said. "And a man can get mighty lonesome in the Black."

"True enough," Mal agreed soberly. "I know I'm one lucky hundan to have River with me."

"She's a right beauty," Monty agreed.

As if on cue, River glided into the kitchen, Adam on one hip. As she greeted Monty warmly, Mal stood up, taking Adam to the table and presenting him to his friend. "Monty, this here's Adam Reynolds, the one I wanted you to meet. Adam, can you shake Mr. Monty's hand?"

Adam regarded the strange man for a moment, not sure about the unruly, long hair on his chin. But since Daddy still held him safely, he stuck out his little pudgy hand, just as Daddy had taught him to do. "Hey," he said distinctly. Mal beamed.

Monty stared, taken momentarily aback. "Hey there yourself, little Reynolds," he replied heartily once he regained his equilibrium. Taking a large shot of whiskey, he said, "That's a mighty fine lookin' boy you got there, Mal."

"Thank ya'," Mal said, taking a seat and putting Adam on his knee. He poured another shot into Monty's glass. "Have to say, of all the things I've done in the 'verse, this little fella's 'bout the best of it, and that's a pure truth."

Monty nodded, suddenly misty-eyed. "'Spect that's so," he agreed quietly.

**Q—Questions and the Quilt**

Mal was profoundly grateful that he had set a three-hour time limit on the crew's brief shore leave on the Skyplex. The noise and lights of the tawdry exhibits in the open bazaar always set his teeth on edge. And today was no exception, though he did have to chuckle, observing Adam's wonderment at all the strange sights. Adam rode on his shoulders now, pointing excitedly at everything he saw and asking the inevitable "Wha's dat, dada?'

Mal had been content to answer that question for the first two hours, but the novelty of it was beginning to wear thin. Figuring an ice planet was a mite large for his son to handle, Mal had tried, instead, to divert him with an ice cream cone. For his efforts, he now had the sticky goo in his hair and running down his collar, on River's blouse, and covering his son from head to toe. And still Adam was not so distracted that he didn't ask the question again and again. Mal's head began to throb.

Deciding his first order of business on returning to the ship would be a bath and a change of clothes for the entire family, Mal stopped to check the post first. To his surprise, there were, in addition to a few letters, two boxes held for the crew. One was obviously from Kaylee's mother, addressed in her distinctive scrawl. The other, Mal knew now from experience, was from Mrs. Cobb, the label bearing the careful writing of a woman who had spent more time working than schooling early on. He handed the letters to River, and pulled Adam down from his perch to rest him on River's hip. Then, taking a box under each arm, he and the family made their way back to Serenity to distribute the packages and letters.

After he, River, and Adam had peeled out of their sticky clothes and washed the last of the mess from themselves, they found the others in the common area, everyone excitedly looking at the contents of the boxes.

From Jayne's mother came socks, mittens, and scarves in assorted shapes, sizes, and colors for the crew, including several items sized to fit Anya and Adam. Jayne grinned happily, proud of his ma for getting the things he'd requested completed so quickly. Anya wrapped her scarf around her throat and modeled her new hat and mittens for everyone to see, while Adam just looked vaguely confused by the hat perched precariously on his own head. After distributing his gifts and receiving the thanks of the crew, Jayne retired to his bunk in private to read the letter his ma had sent him.

Kaylee's box held more delights for Anya. As several of Mrs. Frye's grandchildren were female, she had sent clothes that her own girls had long-since outgrown. There were play clothes and fancy dresses, sweaters and coats, and even a few pairs of shoes. Zoe accepted the gifts gratefully, her eyes warm and bright with the generosity shown her.

Reaching down deeper into the box, Kaylee pulled out a beautiful little gown of pink flannel, embroidered with butterflies and tiny flowers and trimmed in finely tatted lace. Anya squealed with delight, touching it tenderly. "This is the beautifulest thing, Miss Kaylee," she said, blue eyes shining. "I'm gonna send a letter to your Mama to thank her, if'n it's okay. I'm mostly done learnin' to write 'em all good."

Kaylee smiled, ruffling her hair. "I reckon my Ma would like that very much," she said. Turning back to the box, she drew out a little blue flannel pair of pajamas, carefully embroidered with spaceships, stars, and planets for Adam. River ran her fingertips along the tiny stitches, feeling the love in the hands that had labored so diligently over the clothing.

Coming to the bottom of the box, Kaylee pulled out a beautiful, hand-made quilt, lined in blue flannel to match the pajamas. It was designed in a pattern of nine squares, three squares on each row. Inside each square was a representation of one of Serenity's inhabitants; Mal, Adam, and River occupying the first row; Simon, Kaylee, and Inara the second; and Zoe, Anya, and Jayne the third. Kaylee sighed happily, running her hands along the material lovingly. "It's one of Ma's famous 'family' quilts," she explained. "Every time a new child is born into our family, she makes a quilt that tells the story of his kin, so's he'll sleep with his family close to him always."

Mal was speechless for a moment, so moved was he by Mrs. Frye's artistic representation of Serenity's family. "Thank you, mei mei," he finally managed to say as River wrapped Adam into the quilt snugly. "'Spect I'll be writin' a letter of my own for you to include with Anya's. This was a kindness."

Kaylee smiled like the sun, her own eyes misting over when she saw the suspicious moistness in her Captain's. "I'll send it along, Cap'n," she said.

**R—Running Ragged**

Adam took his first tottering steps from his mother's steadying hands to his father's outstretched arms. Within the week, he began running around on sturdy legs, forward momentum keeping him mostly upright.

Having discovered the joys of moving speedily under his own steam, he decided that the gates that Jayne and Kaylee had so carefully devised when he was merely crawling were now an obstacle to be overcome.

Learning to hook his fingers and toes in the mesh of the gates, he began to scale their heights. After balancing precariously at the top of the gate, he would then hang on with his hands and dangle, stretching his toes as close to the ground as possible before dropping down on the other side.

The first time Mal saw this, he was too amazed to scold the child, and indeed stood staring at him as if he'd just scaled the summit of an impossibly tall mountain. But soon, amazement turned to abject terror, as Mal discovered that there was nothing to contain his son safely anymore.

"We'll just have to teach him what the limits are," River said calmly, trying to soothe her husband while secretly just as worried as he was.

Mal looked at her skeptically, seriously considering crafting a small harness for Adam himself. River scowled, reading the thought. "Not a horse," she answered.

"I know, I know," Mal said. "Just a passin' thought was all."

So, together with everyone else on board, Mal and River set out to teach Adam what areas of Serenity were off-limits. After several weeks of frustration and near-fatal accidents, Adam began to show signs of at least a marginal understanding of the rules his parents imposed.

Mal sat on the floor of the cargo bay with River, allowing Adam to run happily between the crates and back into the larger cleared area before bedtime. Having spent the entire day running along behind his son averting disaster of one kind or another, Mal was exhausted. "Think he'll eventually get it?" he asked River wearily.

River smiled a tired smile of her own. "Already got it," she answered. "Just likes to see us running along behind him."

Mal's mouth dropped open, as he stared at his wife in surprise. "Why that little…" he sputtered.

River interrupted him, grinning broadly. "You have to admit, he's definitely our son," she said.

Mal had to smile in return. "Well, yours maybehaps," he murmured, one eye still watching Adam's route as he kissed River soundly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Alphabet Soup**

**Part VII—S through V**

Summary: This is a collection of short scenes in the family life of Master Adam Reynolds of Serenity. Warning: Wall-to-wall fluff ahead. Enter at your own risk.

**S—Sweet Surrender**

"You're sure you don't mind?" River asked Simon for the fifth time, her brown eyes filled with concern.

"Why would I mind looking after my nephew for one night?' Simon said, rolling his eyes. "How hard can it be?'

"Pretty gorram hard," Mal said, catching Simon's last question as he entered the infirmary to collect his wife. "Depending on the day, or the alignment of the stars, or whatever else gets him goin'."

River shot her husband a quick look, warning him silently not to say anything to dissuade Simon from keeping the baby. Mal grinned, trying to look repentant and failing spectacularly. Figuring he'd best do something to redeem himself, Mal handed Simon a comm. unit. "Call us if you need us," he said, kissing Adam's head and taking River's hand.

Leaving the ship as quickly as they could without actually breaking into a run, as that would not look Captainy at all, Mal and River decided to forego dining out in favor of getting quickly to the hotel. Heart beating wildly in anticipation as Mal opened the door to the suite he'd reserved, River walked inside and immediately kicked off her shoes, wanting to feel the plush carpeting beneath her bare feet. Mal disappeared into the enormous bathroom and, in minutes, River heard the heavenly sound of a bath being drawn.

She slipped out of her clothes fluidly, as Mal walked into the room, already similarly disrobed. He stopped short when he saw River standing in the soft lamplight of the room, his mouth practically watering at the sight of her.

River smiled slowly, her pulse quickening as he moved closer. She could hear the sudden change in his breathing, and looked at him intently. Smiling, he nodded. "Read me."

Thinking that the invitation he voiced so very rarely was the most sensuous offer ever made, she closed the distance between them, pressing every inch of her warm, smooth skin against the hard angles of his body. Closing her eyes, she saw herself as he saw her. Mate, friend, mother, woman-child, warrior goddess, healer, whole. Enveloped in the strength of the vision, she was unaware of her knees buckling beneath her until his arms reached to steady her.

"Whoa there, woman," he whispered against her ear. "Don't be passin' out on me now, whilst we're finally alone and got a warm bath waitin'."

River opened her eyes and gazed up at him, her love shining like a beacon as she followed him to the huge tub. Sinking gratefully into the warm water, they became, for the night, not Mommy and Daddy, but man and woman, lovers reaffirming the intimate connection that bound them together as surely as space was infinite and time was without end.

**T—Talking and Tickles**

Simon sat beside Adam's highchair, watching the little boy's progress with his supper. So far, Simon was not completely covered in food, but he was not so sure about the near future. As Adam ate, he prattled away happily, occasionally actually saying intelligible words. Simon was pleased that he could distinguish his own name, "Unca Simon", and Adam could almost say "Aunt Kaywee" with some degree of success. As best as Simon could discern, Adam was currently telling him a story about playing with Miss "Nawa" and "Missa Jayne" earlier in the day. Simon shuddered to think what kind of game Jayne might play with his nephew, but Adam seemed happy enough in the recounting of the tale.

Kaylee was, surprisingly to Simon, making herself scarce, leaving the bulk of the babysitting task to her husband. Simon really didn't mind, as he could see so much of his sister in the little boy. Physically, Adam looked like his father, with his sandy brown hair and blue eyes, but there was so much of River in his expression and mannerisms that Simon had to love him completely and utterly.

Simon's mind had drifted as he pondered the similarities between mother and child, and so it was somewhat startling when he realized that Adam had stopped talking and was looking at him expectantly.

"I'm sorry, Adam," he said. "What did you say?"

Adam gave him a very River-like look, but repeated his last words. "Mama? Daddy?" he asked.

"Oh, well, your parents aren't here right now," Simon began.

Adam's brows wrinkled in a frown, and his bottom lip began to quiver. "But they'll be back soon," Simon amended hastily. "And 'til then, you and I can play together."

Adam looked at him dubiously. "Me pway wif Unca Simon?"

"Yes," Simon said, smiling with relief when Adam grinned at the answer.

Adam surveyed the food left on his tray. "Pway now?"

"I suppose so," Simon said, removing the food-covered tray and cleaning Adam's hands and face. "What would you like to play?"

Adam gave the question serious consideration. Then, grinning, he said, "Ticka monsta."

"Tickle monster?" Simon asked, grabbing the little boy up into his arms and beginning to tickle him with wild abandon.

Adam squealed with delight, wriggling around in his uncle's arms in total bliss, as Kaylee watched happily from the shadows of the corridor outside.

**U—Understanding Undies**

Mal caught Adam up as the baby ran through the corridors of Serenity minus his diaper once again. "Seems to me every time I turn around, I see this boy's bare bottom," he said to River, who was following Adam to replace his diaper for the third time that morning.

River sighed in frustration. "He keeps squirming out of it."

"Mebbe he's tired of wearin' it," Jayne suggested idly, as he walked past them toward the galley.

"Missa Jayne, Missa Jayne," Adam sang happily, his eyes eagerly following the mercenary's path.

Jayne turned back with a grin. "Hey, squirt," he said, taking the baby from Mal's arms. "Why you givin' yer folks a hard time? Gotta wear somethin' if'n you're gonna run about the ship."

Adam submitted to having his diaper repinned, but he didn't look particularly happy about it. Later that night, a thought occurred to Mal. "Maybehaps Adam's ready for something 'sides a diaper," he suggested.

"Don't think so," River said. "At least, judging by the bucket of wet diapers soaking in the corner of the laundry area."

"We'll see," Mal said, determining to set about teaching Adam what to do to eliminate the need for diapers altogether. He conjured that could only be a good thing all around, as he had no compelling desire to change another soiled diaper nor to wash another laundry hamper full of them.

Beginning slowly and out of River's sight, he coached his son in the basics of toilet training. Adam thought it great fun to climb up on the little stool Mal had found, and follow Daddy's example like a big boy. After a couple of weeks, Mal felt comfortable enough with Adam's progress to mention it again to River.

River was still skeptical. "How many diapers has he been through each day for the past week?" Mal asked, knowing quite well the number had dropped dramatically. "Let's just see what happens without 'em."

River agreed, admitting to herself that part of her reluctance was simply the thought that once Adam was out of diapers, he would not really be a baby anymore. But she could not help but be somewhat proud of the progress he'd achieved with Mal, and she praised him mightily for it at every opportunity. "Mommy's so proud of you," she said, hugging him to her each time he made it to the toilet in time, until finally he had been accident-free for a week.

To celebrate the occasion, Mal and River took Adam dirtside to pick out his new underpants. And River had to laugh when she saw the pride on Mal's face as Adam chose one pair that looked just like Daddy's.

**V—Vampires and Vigils**

Anya sat on Jayne's lap, eager for a story. Usually Mama or Captain Mal told the bedtime stories, but Mama was piloting Serenity tonight and Captain Mal had gone to put Adam to bed. Mr. Jayne was a passable substitute though, and he told deliciously scary stories of the Black when the other adults were not around to stop him.

This night was no exception. Jayne began his tale. "Once upon a time, there was a little blonde-haired girl who lived on a Firefly-class ship and sailed the Black…"

Anya shivered as he continued the story of the hapless little girl set upon by a villainous vampire intent on sucking the blood right out of her pretty little neck. "And they never saw the poor little girl or the evil vampire again," he finished with a flourish. "All right, little girl, time to go to bed," he said, chuckling at her wide-eyed expression.

Anya clung to his shirt, truly frightened by the story. "Please, Mr. Jayne, I don't want to go to my bunk. Mama's on the bridge, and I'll be all alone in the dark."

Jayne looked at her, beginning to realize that maybe his kind of story was a bit much for a seven-year-old. "Aw, honey, ain't nothin' in the dark that ain't there in the light," he reasoned.

"Is so," Anya said. "You said vampires only come out at night."

"But it was just a story," Jayne protested.

Anya was not so easily convinced. "You're just sayin' that 'cause you want me to go to bed now."

"I wouldn't lie to you, little bit," Jayne said. 'But if'n you're scared, I'll keep watch over ya'. Nothing gets by me to get to you, dong ma?"

"How're you gonna watch me if I'm in my bunk and you're in yours?" Anya asked pointedly.

Having no desire to be killed by Zoe for invading the privacy of her bunk and even less desire to be killed by Mal for allowing Anya in his, Jayne came up with the only compromise guaranteed to let him live until morning. "Because you're gonna be right here on the couch," he said. "And I'll be right in the chair next to ya'."

"All night?" Anya persisted.

Jayne grimaced, "All night," he confirmed.

Five hours later, he awoke to a sharp pain in his neck from the awkward position in which he'd slept. Feeling like he'd been run over by the mule, he glanced over at Anya, who lay stretched comfortably over the couch in her little pick flannel gown. Last gorram time I tell a kid a bedtime story, he thought, shifting uncomfortably in the chair and closing his eyes once again.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Alphabet Soup**

**Part VIII—W through Z**

Summary: This is a collection of short scenes in the family life of Master Adam Reynolds of Serenity. Warning: Wall-to-wall fluff ahead. Enter at your own risk.

**W—Weaned and Weeping**

River sat in the rocker, holding the sleeping Adam close to her breast. She had spent the better part of the evening staring at the bulkhead disconsolately. Adam had, for the first time, completely refused to nurse, nuzzling eagerly into his mother's warmth, but turning his head away when prompted to suckle. Though she knew it was nothing personal, River still felt an odd sense of rejection from her son.

It had been mildly traumatic when Adam had gone from diapers to underpants, but that was nothing compared to the emotions she felt now. For several days, Adam had nursed less and less, until finally River talked to Simon about it. He had assured her that Adam's behavior was perfectly normal. Now that the little boy had several teeth, he was eating more solid food, and would logically need less of the nourishment River had been providing, Simon explained gently. River understood it, but it still broke her heart to think that the precious bonding time would soon come to an end.

Mal came down into the bunk and found her crying, Adam still held tightly in her arms. "What's the matter, darlin'?" he asked, dropping to his knees beside the rocker.

The gentle question released a virtual torrent of tears as River tried to explain her turmoil. Mal listened, barely comprehending the depth of her feelings until he remembered how jealous he had felt at first when he'd been unable to feed his son. Taking Adam from her arms carefully so as not to wake him, Mal put the child into his crib, and turned his attention back to his weeping wife. Taking her into his arms, he waited for her tears to subside. When they finally did, he lifted her chin so that he could see her eyes, and brushed back her hair. "Darlin', there ain't a thing in the 'verse that child loves or needs any more than you. You're his mama, and you're always gonna be, no matter how old he gets. There's no substitute for a good mama, I conjure. And Adam's lucky enough to have one."

River sniffled, wiping the last tear from her eye. "You really think I'm a good mother?" she asked.

"I do," Mal confirmed. "And a wonderful wife as well." He kissed her softly, feeling some of her tension melt away. "Truth to tell," he added, his lips ghosting along her jawline as he cupped one breast in his hand, "I'll be pleased to have these back to myself."

River giggled. "You will, huh?" she said as he lowered the strap of her gown.

"Um huhm," he answered as his clever lips and hands distracted River from her earlier melancholy.

**X—X-Ray**

Mal and Adam were making their way around the ship, doing Mal's last check of the evening, as was his custom. Mal loved this time with his son, almost as much as he'd once loved the solitude of the route. Adam was growing by leaps and bounds, and Mal was well aware that the child was gifted beyond his age. Ever inquisitive, Adam asked questions about every part of the ship, and Mal took pride in teaching the boy about their home.

Wanting to recheck the cargo they'd picked up earlier in the day, Mal headed down the stairs holding Adam's hand. Not quite sure-footed, Adam missed a step, causing Mal to lunge forward to catch him, twisting his own ankle in the process. Mal heard a sickening pop, and Adam began to scream.

Righting them both, Mal was horrified to see Adam's arm hanging at an odd angle. He touched it gingerly, causing Adam to cry out in pain. "Shh," he soothed, drawing the child into his arms with careful attention to the injured arm.

Adam whimpered, "Hurts, Daddy. Hurts bad."

Mal swallowed thickly, and replied, "We'll get Uncle Simon to take a look, okay?"

Adam nodded, taking in big gulps of air. "'Kay, Daddy," he said, trying to be brave.

Mal limped to the infirmary, certain he couldn't make it back up the stairs to get Simon. Grateful for the comm. system, he called Simon to the infirmary, thereby prompting the entire crew to come out of their bunks to see what had happened.

Everyone crowded into the small room, until Simon made them all step outside with the exception of a very worried River. Probing as gently as possible, Simon examined Adam's arm, as Mal and River gripped hands tightly, holding their breath.

"Don't think it's broken," Simon said finally. "But the elbow's dislocated. We'll have to set it correctly."

Mal's voice was tight, knowing full well how painful dislocations could be. "Can we give him something first?"

"Of course," Simon said, already preparing the pain meds. Adam cried when he saw the needle. "It's okay, baby," River soothed, holding him close. "This will make it feel better in a minute."

Simon slid the needle in, wincing at Adam's scream. "We'll have to wait a few minutes before we make the adjustment," he said to Mal. River began to sing a lullaby softly in Adam's ear, while Simon explained quietly that Mal would need to provide counter-resistance as he pulled the joint back into alignment.

Gritting his teeth, Mal got a firm grasp on his son's arm, as Simon maneuvered the elbow back into place with a sickening pop. Adam fell back against Mal's chest, panting with the pain. Mal held him gently as Simon administered an anti-inflammatory to ease possible swelling. "You were a brave little boy," Simon said, kissing Adam's clammy forehead. "Very brave."

Adam looked at his uncle through watery eyes. "All better now?'

"All better," Simon confirmed.

Adam smiled shakily. "Sleepy now."

"I'd expect so," Simon agreed.

River took her son from Mal and headed back to their bunk, while Mal stayed behind.

"Thanks, doc," he said bleakly. "Don't know how I managed to hurt him like that."

Simon regarded him soberly. "I expect you may have saved his life. If you hadn't grabbed him by that arm, he'd have likely tumbled down the stairs and been seriously injured or even killed."

"Yeah, well, that don't stop me feelin' all manner of guilty," Mal said, grimacing as he put weight on his injured ankle.

"Take your boot off," Simon ordered, brooking no argument.

Mal complied, hopping around on one foot until Simon steadied him. Whistling low in his throat at the swollen, purple ankle, Simon said, "Looks like you may have gotten the worst of it anyway. I believe this is going to require an X-ray."

Mal grumbled, but allowed Simon to take the picture. "The good news is, that is a fairly clean break," Simon said, pointing out the thin white line bisecting the bone. With typical efficiency, he set the bone and prepared a light-weight cast for the Captain. "My advice is to stay off it for a few days, and then we'll see where we are. For now, use these," he said, pulling a pair of crutches out of a locker, "and elevate it when you get back to your bunk."

"You're givin' me leave to use the stairs AND the ladder?" Mal asked, somewhat surprised.

Simon rolled his eyes. "Could I stop you if I tried?"

Mal chuckled. "'Spect not," he acknowledged.

"I didn't think so," Simon said dryly. "But be careful. I don't want to be putting a cast on any other part of your anatomy."

"Point taken," Mal said, fitting the crutches firmly under his arms and moving forward awkwardly. Simon watched him go, pondering the complexities of the man.

**Y—Yielding to Yearning**

Mal spent the next day in his bunk, impatient to have been sidelined from the job. He didn't breathe normally until River came in at lunch to announce that the cargo had been safely delivered and Zoe and Jayne were back onboard. Setting the lunch tray carefully across his lap, she sat beside him. "Everything all right down here?" she asked solicitously.

"S'pose so," Mal said petulantly. "Though I ain't overly fond of lying around in bed."

River raised one eyebrow mischievously. "Oh really?' she asked, grinning wickedly.

Mal returned the grin, blue eyes beginning to twinkle. "Less'n I got good company, that is." He reached out to pull her closer, but she danced away from his grasp, chuckling softly.

"Hold that thought," she said. "I have to go get Adam for his afternoon nap. Maybe then we can resume this conversation. Besides, you need to eat. Keep your strength up."

"Aimin' to make me exert myself, are you?" Mal said to her retreating form. Her reply was a soft laugh as she climbed the ladder.

Mal waited anxiously for River's return, even managing to hobble over to the sink for a quick shave. When River and Adam arrived, he endured the longest fairy tale he thought he'd ever heard, while River gentled Adam into his nap.

Finally, River turned to him with a smile, dropping her dress in one fluid movement. Stifling the moan that rose low in his throat so as not to wake the baby, Mal unbuttoned his shirt hastily. River helped him out of his pants, as the cast made it somewhat awkward to manage alone. Straddling his hips, she whispered, "Lie still, ai ren. Let me do the work this time."

Mal nodded silently, eyes fluttering closed as she began to rock gently against him. "Ai ya, woman," he breathed against her neck.

"Shhh," River whispered. "Mustn't wake the baby."

Mal clamped his jaws shut, trying to keep quiet. For several minutes, the only sound in the room was their increasingly heavy breathing and the whisper of skin on skin. But as he began to thrust up into her more forcefully, a loud gasp escaped from River, and Mal opened his eyes to see Adam peering over the top of the crib, eyes wide. "Mommy?" the little boy asked.

"Gorram it," Mal hissed, pulling the blanket up to cover River's naked back. River slid off his body, sighing in frustration. "What, baby mine?' she asked as calmly as she could manage.

"Mommy okay?" Adam asked.

"Mommy's fine," River said. "Go back to sleep, Adam."

"Not sleepy," Adam replied, his fingers firmly entwined in the slats of the crib.

"You have to take your nap," Mal said, the last of his earlier arousal effectively gone.

"Sleep with you?" Adam asked hopefully.

Mal looked resignedly at his wife, who was slipping back into her dress under the blanket. She gave him a rueful smile. "All right," Mal said. "Just this once."

Adam grinned happily as River picked him up and deposited him in the bed between them. Snuggling close, Adam soon fell back asleep.

Mal looked over at River. "Think maybehaps it's time for our yearling to sleep in his own bunk," he whispered.

River nodded in absolute agreement.

**Z—Zoe's Zoo**

Zoe sat in the common area, watching Anya and Adam play with the small box of toys that the crew had been steadily contributing to since the children arrived. As everyone was perpetually short of coin, the box was not as full as one would have hoped. Feeding and clothing the growing children was challenge enough most days, Zoe knew well enough. But still, little things would mysteriously appear in the box after a day spent dirtside. Zoe was not sure who the contributors were, but she suspected it was a joint effort. She herself had dropped in a thing or three when she could.

But looking at the children playing so happily with their meager possessions, Zoe was gripped by sudden guilt. She conscripted Inara to watch the children, and climbed down into her bunk. Opening the closet, she pulled down a large box and set it lovingly on the bed. She took a deep breath and opened it. Instantly engulfed in the bittersweet memory of Wash, she dumped the contents on the bed. Dozens of plush animal toys fell out, soft and well-worn, smelling of Wash's favorite cologne. Zoe picked up each one tenderly, inhaling the sweet scent of her husband, and remembering how very much Wash had treasured these things from his own childhood.

She recalled the surprise she'd felt that a grown man would keep such things, but she had soon learned that Wash was a tender soul who would never willingly abandon anything that he had chosen to be a part of his life. Stifling a small sob, she gathered the precious treasures back into the box.

Sensing her husband as if he still stood beside her, she knew exactly what he would have wanted done. Wiping one treacherous tear from her cheek, she picked up the box and took it to the common area, setting it down carefully between the children. As they squealed with delight at all the stuffed animals there, Zoe whispered, "Miss you, baby," so softly no one else could hear.

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's note: And so we come to the end of this fluff-fest called "Alphabet Soup." Thanks so much for reading it, and as always, a special thanks to those who took the extra minute to comment. I'll be back after a short break with the sequel to "Holding Pattern", for those who regularly read my tales of Serenity's crew. Hope you'll tune back in! Thanks again!


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